While remasters for Grand Theft Auto 4 and Red Dead Redemption have been rumored for a while, insider Tez2 reported on them being shelved. This was apparently due to the poor reception of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition. Kotaku’s Zack Zwiezen has since corroborated the story, noting that it “lines up with what I’ve been told.”
Sources with “knowledge of Rockstar’s plans and future projects” told Zwiezen that they hoped the buggy remastered would be forgotten. In the meantime, it’s focusing resources on finishing Grand Theft Auto 6. Which isn’t to say that remasters for Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto 4 are permanently off the table. They could still happen but after the release of GTA 6.
Interestingly, before the Grand Theft Auto remaster trilogy was announced, Kotaku had heard of plans to remaster Red Dead Redemption. This was reportedly an idea that Rockstar had for years at the time. However, the trilogy’s disappointing release and the high demands for GTA 6 are reportedly a factor in shifting away from remasters for the time being.
Furthermore, the reception and sales of remasters will play a big part in other projects getting the remastered treatment in the future, again reflecting a lesson learned from the GTA trilogy’s release.
Rockstar announced earlier this year that the next Grand Theft Auto is in development. No release window as provided but rumors indicate that it reached a “major milestone” in March. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.
